Night Shifts Black is a four-book contemporary romance series by Alyson Santos. I’ve read the first three books and my review is below. (Limelight, the fourth book in the series is available March 12, 2018.) I would highly recommend you read them in order and feel they are intended for readers 18 years and older.

My FIVE Star Review:

I absolutely loved all three of these books and I’m looking forward to digging into book 4, Limelight.

Night Shifts Black was a truly amazing story and is my favorite of the series. Luke, the lead singer for Night Shifts Black meets Callie after she sits in “the chair.” Everything about this book was great. The heartaches, the friendships, the love, the writing, the music, the chair, everything. This was the first Alyson book I’ve read and I was completely blown away. I couldn’t help but jump right into book two, Tracing Holland, and then book three, Viper.

For me, Tracing Holland was a book of healing and moving forward. Everyone is a bit of a disaster. But as Holland said, ” … we’re all disasters. Perfection is finding that one disaster that makes sense with yours.”

For me, Viper was inspiring! Depression: “The thing with depression is it seems lazy and slow, and then bam! Surprise strike out of nowhere.” Why a viper? Hannah said, “Vipers are badass. They seem lazy and slow, and then bam! Surprise strike out of nowhere. …”

Each book was filled with compelling characters, wonderful storylines, and amazing music. It was a joy to read all the song lyrics and an even greater joy to realize Alyson Santos has a Youtube channel showcasing many of the songs. Check out Greetings from the Inside here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBA-aTmovGY

Go pick up this series today! You will love each and every one of them! I did!

His name is Luke. But nobody knows that. He was an iconic musician before he gave up music. But nobody knows that either. They also don’t know he’s twenty-seven, that he used to have an infectious laugh, and that he’s way too young to be widowed. They certainly don’t know the rest of his tragic story. All they know is that he comes into their café at the same time every morning and stares at the same chair at the same table. They know he’s strange. They know he interrupts their breakfast with a cold blast of air as he hovers in the doorway, mustering the courage to confront a piece of furniture.
No one asks why. No one cares. He’s fine with that. He’s done with life. This isn’t even his story anymore. It’s actually Callie’s, the young writer who sat in his chair one day.
This novel is a work of fiction and intended for mature readers. Events and persons depicted are of a fictional nature and use language, make choices, and face situations inappropriate for younger readers. Please note this book also addresses the issues of depression and suicide in a compassionate, realistic manner. This book can be read as a standalone, but the story continues in Tracing Holland.

Callie asked if I was ready. And that’s the question, isn’t it? Ready for what? The spotlight? The music? Or ready for life. Ready to face the reality that what I was is going to attack the very fabric of who I am now. No one knows I’m a different person. Well, no one except the two most important people in my life, which is why there’s a remote chance I might actually pull off the comeback I never saw coming.
Then again, that was before Holland Drake crashed into my life. I didn’t ask for her. Heaven knows she didn’t ask for me. But sometimes it’s not about what makes sense; it’s about accepting that not everything will. It’s learning you have a choice when it feels like you don’t. It’s believing even the worst past can still have a future.
And sometimes it’s none of that. Sometimes it’s survival. A blind fight through the pain as you cling to any shred of hope you can find. And it’s those moments, those desperate pleas into the darkness for a flicker of light, when you have no choice but to confront the blessing that often feels like a curse:
You’re still alive. You’re still significant.
You’re once again Luke Craven, frontman for Night Shifts Black.
This novel is a work of fiction and intended for mature readers. Events and persons depicted are of a fictional nature and use language, make choices, and face situations inappropriate for younger readers. Please note this book also addresses the issues of depression and suicide in a compassionate, realistic manner.

It’s not easy being the bad guy.
Yeah, that’s a lie. It’s pretty damn simple. You act and you own it. You sell your soul to protect those you love and screw the rest.
It’s the restraint that’s hard. The demons that poke at your trigger, burn in your gut—just waiting for a second of freedom to unleash the fire in your soul.
Call me a villain. Call me whatever helps you sleep at night and feel good about the black and white of love. But watch your back because I don’t care. Until I do.
And then I implode.
Note: VIPER directly follows the action in Tracing Holland (NSB #2), but can also be read as a standalone.
This novel is a work of fiction and intended for mature readers. Events and persons depicted are of a fictional nature and use language, make choices, and face situations inappropriate for younger readers.

Like this:

Blood Fury is the third book in the Black Dagger Legacy Series which runs concurrently with the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Both series are intended for readers 18 years and older. Release Date: January 9, 2018.

Thought by Leisha:

Okay, so I was waiting with baited breath for this release and well, I was not disappointed!

Blood Fury is the third installment of the Black Dagger Legacy series from JR Ward.

Here is my ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ spoiler-free review. (Short and simple, guys. 😉)

Let’s face it, I love anything that has to do with the BDB world. Anyone that knows me at all, knows that. My only complaint with Blood Fury is, I would have really enjoyed seeing both of these stories being told in their own books, where they could have been stretched out some more, gone further into detail, etc. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it. 😁

By the way, I’ve liked Saxton in previous books, just wasn’t over-the-moon over the character. But after Blood Fury, I have to say, Saxton’s a badass! 😉 Love me some Ruhn, too! Oh, and Peyton and Novo, of course!

More About Blood Fury:

A vampire aristocrat, Peyton is well aware of his duty to his bloodline: mate with an appropriate female of his class and carry on his family’s traditions. And he thought he’d found his perfect match—until she fell in love with someone else. Yet when his split-second decision in a battle with the enemy endangers the life of another trainee, Peyton has to face the idea that his future, and his heart, actually lie with another.

Novo, as a female in the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s training program, feels like she has to prove herself to everybody—and she has no interest in being distracted by falling in love. But when Peyton proves to be so much more than a rich playboy, she is forced to confront the tragedy that has broken her soul and closed her off from love.

As the two grapple with Novo’s past and Peyton’s present, another couple must contend with a connection that is unparalleled—and potentially scandalous. Saxton, who has had his heart broken, discovers in himself a deep-seated attraction to Ruhn, a new member of the household. But will the other male explore the connection? Or will he close his mind and his heart to what could be true love . . . and cost Saxton everything?

Like this:

Happy Release Day to Lane Hayes and her second novel in her A Way With series, A Way with You.

Recommended for readers 18 years and older.

Synopsis

Reeve Nelson is determined to make it in Manhattan. He’s hardworking, dedicated and willing to put in the extra hours required to be successful at his new job at a prestigious real estate firm in the city. There’s no way he’s going back to small-town living and an ex-girlfriend who won’t let go. But his boss isn’t making it easy.

Leo Rodriguez enjoys his reputation as a ruthless businessman. He’s a lone wolf who’s scraped his way from the gutter to rebuild his life and launch a distinguished career on his terms. When an opportunity to expand in the market comes up, Leo wants the eager new agent with a sense of wonder on the project. But nothing goes quite as planned. Reeve expected to be intimidated and overwhelmed by Leo, however, the explosive mutual attraction and fierce desire between them is a big surprise. Neither man is looking for love and yet, something special just might happen if they can find their way…together.

Excerpt

Yeah, this was my idea but I wasn’t prepared to be this close to Leo again. His mere presence overwhelmed me. He smelled so good. I wanted to bury my nose in the collar of his button-down shirt and just…breathe. I told myself Leo was a regular guy like every other guy here, but truthfully, he wasn’t the least bit ordinary. Even in executive chic, Leo turned more heads than the shirtless bartenders. And when he smiled at the young man next to me who offered him his stool, he added another admirer to his list.

I’d never been around anyone who changed the temperature in a room simply by entering it the way he did. It wasn’t his appearance either. His height and sharp sense of style might garner a second glance, but his true appeal was innate. It was in the way he spoke and moved. He didn’t mince words or waste time. He was concise and direct and acted with purpose. I got the impression Leo Rodriguez had a reason for everything he did, including wanting to meet with me.

Leo perched on the vacated stool and then hooked his thumb at me when I didn’t reply. “He’ll have a martini too.”

“No. I mean, yes. But with olives, please. No onions.” I thanked the bartender then swiveled to face Leo, accidentally bumping his knee.

I muttered a quick apology and cautioned myself to pull it together. Leo wasn’t my boss anymore, for fuck’s sake. I just wished he didn’t make me so anxious.

Commence the nervous chatter.

“Onions? No one orders onions,” I snorted. “And vodka-soaked onions are especially gross.”

Leo’s lip curled on one side like a pirate. “When was the last time you had a vodka-soaked onion?”

“Uh…well, never,” I admitted with a frown. “But it sounds gross.”

“Chocolate covered scorpions and braised frog legs are gross. Onions aren’t in the same zip code.”

I made a face and shivered. “Have you actually eaten those things?”

“Yeah, and actually, they’re not so bad. Chocolate hides the taste of anything, even insects, and frog legs taste like chicken. But you never know unless you try.”

“No thanks.”

Leo tsked playfully. “You have big opinions, a big mouth, and a hot temper, Nelson. No wonder I like you.” He nodded his thanks when the bartender delivered our cocktails then raised his glass in a mock toast. “To onions.”

“Onions?”

“We sure as fuck ain’t drinkin’ to olives,” he quipped.

I chuckled at his comedic expression then sipped my martini while I wracked my brain for a non-confrontational topic of conversation to stall the inevitable one.

“What do you have against olives?” Weak. But it was better than nothing, and Leo seemed willing to play along.

“Nothing. It’s a texture thing. I don’t eat them if I can help it but I love olive oil. And tapenade is cool as long as those little suckers are chopped really fine. Otherwise, olives are a hard pass for me. Everyone has a food like that. What’s yours?”

“Kidney beans,” I replied quickly. “I like them in chili but not in salad. I have a great recipe for spicy chili that requires multiple glasses of water on standby. My grandmother made it when we were kids and”—I stopped to take a gulp of my drink before braving a look his way—“I’m sorry. You make me nervous.”

“Why, Reeve?” he purred, leaning into his elbow on the bar next to mine. “Is it because of last night?”

My FIVE Star Review:

A Way with You is a romantic comedy with two extremely lovable leading men and it happens to be the first book I’ve read by Lane Hayes. It’s actually the second book in the Memories with The Breakfast Club Set. It’s a short story, novella size and a quick and easy read. I read A Way with Words as a stand-alone but I intend to pick up the first novella, A Way with You, today.

I really enjoyed Reeve and Leo. They both have an interesting past and a job that pulled them together and kind of push them apart. The writing was very funny in places. I loved Reeves humor and Leo’s intensity. These two men were really made for each other and complemented each other well.

I look forward to reading more from Lane.
I received a copy of this book directly from the publisher.

Meet Lane Hayes:

Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to a well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and won first prize in the 2016 and 2017 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a newly empty nest.

Blurb:

“In the end, only three things matter. How much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.” – Unknown

It was a big lie. The biggest lie she’d ever told. It reverberated through her head as she said it, ringing eerily, and the girl behind her eyes—the girl who knew the truth—screamed, and her scream echoed along with the lie.

“Are you in love with Noah, Mercedes?” Cora asked. “I mean . . . I know you love him. You’ve been friends forever. We all have. But are you in love with him?”

If it had been anyone else—anyone—Mercedes would have stuck out her chest, folded her skinny arms, and let her feelings be known. She would have claimed him. But it was Cora. Brave, beautiful, broken Cora, and Cora loved Noah too.
So Mercedes lied.
And with that lie, she lost him. With that lie, she sealed her fate.
She was the best friend, the bridesmaid, the godmother, the glue. She was there for the good times and the bad, the ups and downs, the biggest moments and the smallest parts. And she was there when it all came crashing down.

This is the tale of the girl who didn’t get the guy.

Pre-order links:

Special pre-order price of $3.99. Price will go up to $5.95 upon release.

Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in eighteen different languages, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

Amy Harmon has written eleven novels — the USA Today Bestsellers, The Bird and The Sword, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as The Queen and The Cure, From Sand and Ash, The Law of Moses, The Song of David, Infinity + One, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her next novel, The Smallest Part, will be released February 13, 2018.

Like this:

The Wife Between Us is a mystery/suspense/thriller that will keep you guessing from beginning to end. It releases on January 9, 2018.

My Five Star Review

This is a spoiler-free review. Why? Because The Wife Between Us is a mystery/suspense/thriller and you’re going to want to go in completely blind. Read it slowly and see if you can untangle this cleverly put together story.

In part one, I thought I had everything figured out. It was flowing smoothly, I felt like I was getting into the characters heads and at the end, I thought, “Yes I kind of figured that’s what was happening.”

By the end of Part 2, however, all I could think was, “Smart …. Very, very, very smart and not at all what I was expecting.”

At the start of Part 3, the final part, you begin to get inside her head more but let me just say I did NOT expect what happened next. Several things take place towards the end of the book and I truly didn’t see any of them coming.

Bravo to Greer and Sarah for putting together an extremely clever story. I look forward to reading more by this duo.

More about The Wife Between Us

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.
Twisted and deliciously chilling, The Wife Between Us exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage – and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.Read between the lies.

Lawless is a dark romance and is intended for readers 18 years and older.

My Four Star Review:

I will admit, I picked up this anthology because of Sandra Bunino and her short story, Kiss of Death. I absolutely loved it just like I love everything else she has written. Her writing style is fun, smooth, extremely entertaining and I can’t help but fall in love with her characters.

So far I’ve read a few of the other stories:
Trust by Kait Gamble. She is a new author to me and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Given to a Killer by Sam Crescent – Sam is a hit or miss author for me but I truly enjoyed this story.

I still have 9 stories to read but let me say, Bravo Evernight and their authors for putting together a wonderful anthology.

More About Lawless:

Meet the hardcore heroes of LAWLESS! They’re fearless, dangerous, big on revenge, and defiantly walk on the wrong side of the law. Although their morals may be compromised, their loyalty to that one woman is never in question.

Our twelve hand-picked novellas are dark, dirty, and will make you see bad boys in a whole new light. From bikers to hitmen, these dangerous men won’t be satisfied until they have everything they came for—until they have her.

The King of South Side by Loralynne Summers
Gentleman Jackson by Nicola M. Cameron
Hungry Eyes (The Covenant) by Gwendolyn Casey
Vandal by Amber Morgan
Given to a Killer by Sam Crescent
Angel Mine by Maia Dylan
Kiss of Death (Dark Heart) by Sandra Bunino
Hitman’s Seduction by Olivia Starke
Hitman’s Angel by Elyzabeth M. VaLey
Eli Logan’s Return by Lila Shaw
Trust by Kait Gamble
The Last DiLuca by Beth D. Carter
#lawless #darkromance #HEA

Blurb:
Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news – the little baby left in a basket at a dingy Laundromat, born to a crack addict and expected to have all sorts of problems. I imagined the crack baby, Moses, having a giant crack that ran down his body, like he’d been broken at birth. I knew that wasn’t what the term meant, but the image stuck in my mind. Maybe the fact that he was broken drew me to him from the start.

It all happened before I was born, and by the time I met Moses and my mom told me all about him, the story was old news and nobody wanted anything to do with him. People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids, and kids grow up to be teenagers. Nobody wants a messed up teenager.
And Moses was messed up. Moses was a law unto himself. But he was also strange and exotic and beautiful. To be with him would change my life in ways I could never have imagined. Maybe I should have stayed away. Maybe I should have listened. My mother warned me. Even Moses warned me. But I didn’t stay away.

And so begins a story of pain and promise, of heartache and healing, of life and death. A story of before and after, of new beginnings and never-endings. But most of all . . . a love story.